Archive for the ‘Vineyard’ Category
Vintage 2012
Another vintage under my belt; I have lost track of how many, but in a world that lives on comparisons and analogies, I know that this is one is special.
VĂ©raison for the season
But of course the French have a noun for the time at which the grapes start to turn from green to red: verasion. It is a most significant point in the slow march from bud break to harvest.
COVERCROPS, MONSANTO AND YOU
There is a way to live in this world that promotes health and harmony and I guarantee that spraying lots of carcinogenic herbicides in our fields is not it!
Cameron Wines are gluten free!
In our world of increasingly diverse dietary requirements, questions are inevitably proffered regarding wine and its compatibility with specific eating regimes. Right off the front I would like to declare that Cameron wine (and all wine to my knowledge) is gluten-free! But what about the vegetarians and vegans? At Cameron Winery we do occasionally use egg whites obtained from chickens grown on our estate to fine various batches of Pinot noir. If you are an ovo vegetarian, dietary vegan or environmental vegan, drink our Pinot noir with gusto. Ethical vegans beware!
The Zen of Pruning
Pruning is the major endeavor occurring during winter in the vineyard.There are approximately 1500 vines per acre and 6 acres of vines at Clos Electrique. That’s 9000 vines that have to be properly groomed by the end of February.In the course of pruning, one enters a personal space of introspection and when it tacks toward seeking the truth, well, one has arrived at the Zen of pruning.
Winter at Cameron
The dawn of the new year at Cameron finds white fermentations still eking out an existence and Pinot noir slumbering in the barrel and dreaming of springtime malolactic fermentations. But the real action this time of year is indubitably occurring in the vineyard!
man vs bird
Julian and Danny learn to scare ravenous birds from the chardonnay at Abbey Ridge vineyard.
2011: not a half acid vintage
The first bulletins from our cellar, as we press off red fermenters and watch (and smell) barrels of white juice begin to turn into wine, point to a possible stellar vintage. Ripe flavors and aromas are unmistakably present in the developing wines. Due to continuing fermentations in the cellar for the next several weeks, carbon dioxide levels in the winery are dangerously high. Therefore WE WILL NOT BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON THANKSGIVING WEEKEND.
2011 gets its @#$% together!
On Oct 20, we picked our first grapes and now are seeing gorgeous Pinot noir filling our fermenters, Pinot noir with firm acidity and moderate sugars (hooray for 12.5% alcohols) and, wonder of wonders, ripe full flavors. Meanwhile the white grapes continue to sit in the vineyards, slowly losing acid and gaining complexity.
Check out our video on VineStories
Vine Stories features short videos profiling artisan winemakers discussing their craft. Here is their piece on Cameron Winery.